Only minutes after police tractors finished knocking down five houses and a synagogue in the Maoz Esther start-up community, families began rebuilding their homes. They promised their spirit would not be broken.
“We are moving forward,” said Elchanan Albert, who lives in Maoz Esther with his family. “This is our land, G-d wants us to move forward, so we’ll move forward. It is difficult since we invested a lot of money and effort in Maoz Esther, but we will build again."
An electrician at the site tried to recover what electrical equipment he could, while youth searched through the ruins for useable items. Teenagers began to build the wood frames which would be used to pour concrete for new building foundations, while a tractor smoothed out the earth which had only hours before been a fledging community.
Some were more affected by the destruction than others. Elyashiv Aviyona, who has lived in Maoz Esther with his wife and young son for a year and a half, had a hard time finding words. “It’s difficult. This is the fourth time they’ve destroyed our home.” Only a few hours earlier, he and his family watched the police remove their belongings from their home before knocking it down.
Elyashiv was also strong, however. “We are the front line protecting the rest of Israel. If they come here to destroy our community, than they won't destroy a larger community elsewhere,” he said.
Maoz Esther was founded a year and a half ago a few hundred meters away from Kochav Hashachar in Samaria on an empty hilltop. It has since been destroyed four times by the Israeli army and police, who claim the community is illegal.
19 year old Otniel Ronen, whose family also lives in Maoz Esther, said that every destruction only makes the community stronger. “Originally there were two tents here. Then they kicked us out. We felt that G-d was telling us, tents are not enough,” Otniel explained.
“So we built more. We built two buildings. Then they destroyed them. Again, G-d saying, it’s not enough. So we built four. They came back. We built six. Now they’ve destroyed them again. We’ll only build more and more,” Otniel said smiling. “With G-d’s help, we’ll find the strength to rebuild.”
Contributions can be sent to “Maoz Esther, Kochav HaShachar, Eastern Binyamin, Israel, 90641”.
Yehudah Lev Kay
Yehudah Lev Kay
Yehudah Lev Kay
Yehudah Lev Kay
Yehudah Lev Kay